


Somthing Scary, Something Strange

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Ghost!Eren, Haunting, M/M, Paranormal Investigators, like only one time and never again, medium!Levi, mention of aviophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-04 08:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4130454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think you 'ought to stay away from here. There's ghosts in the walls and they crawl in your head through your ear.</p><p>(on temporary hiatus, being edited)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> um. I'm lazy.  
> but hurray for medium!levi and ghost!eren, huh?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > And now, here he is. Saving the dead from the clutches of the living and pulling the living from the past and into the present.

_"_ _Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived in Oxford, Connecticut, where the weather is partly cloudy with a chance of some showers, and_ _begun our decent to Waterbury—Oxford Airport. Please, buckle your seat belts and turn off all electronics and we will be at the gate in the next twenty minutes. Thank you for flying with Delta Airlines and have a wonderful day."_

Levi sighs as the click of his seatbelt sounds and he braces himself for the landing. He'd always hated flying, being off the ground, at all, really and if he wasn't getting paid, he knows he definitely wouldn't be here. It might sound harsh, considering his job and his client's situation, but someone looking for help from something harmful that they can't even see can't fix aviophobia. Closing his eyes, he leans his head back against the headrest and instead, focuses on trying to block out the cluster of noise around him.

Sadly, it seems impossible, with the family in the seats behind him, both parents chattering mindlessly on the phone while the baby screams their head off. Another reason on the grocery list of ones why Levi hates planes, having to sit in the same general area as other people who act as if they have no home etiquette. He has never been a fan of people, anyway, and this does his distaste for them no justice.

Fortunately, he was able to get through the landing without freaking out and he lets out a loud sigh of relief that drowns in the raised noise of the people exiting the plane. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he waits until most of the people have filed out before standing. He looks down in the seat beside him, his frown deepening at what he sees.

Hanji sits, curled up in the seat with the pillow tucked between their head and the window, mouth agape as snores leave their throat. Shaking his head in disbelief at how they could possibly sleep through the landing of the plane, he reaches down to jerk their shoulder in an attempt to wake them up.

"Hanji, get up." Levi retracts his hand back quickly when they suddenly jerk their head up, snorting loudly in the process. Their hair sticking up every which way on their head in cowlicks and their glasses askew on their face.

"Wha... what is it?"

He clicks his tongue in annoyance. "We're here, Shitty Glasses."

Hanji lets out an 'oh', moving to sit properly in the seat and reaching up to smooth down their hair and fix their glasses. Levi sighs, turning to step into the aisle and hoping Hanji isn't still too asleep to not follow him and get lost. Their beside him when he enters the airport and makes his way towards the baggage claim.

They didn't bring too much, Levi only having one suit case and Hanji having two—one for clothes, necessities and the other for their camera equipment. Levi doesn't need much, anyway, his only tool for his job being himself, which is convenient at times when they have to travel.

"So, what now?" Hanji questions as they jog to catch up with Levi from the claim. Levi stops by some benches and leans against the pillar there, taking out his phone.

"Now we wait for the big oaf." sending a quick text message to alert their pick up of their arrival, the raven slips his phone back into his pocket.

 

> _You, 11.28 pm. - We're here, Eyebrows._

It's not very long after before he gets a reply. 

 

> _Eyebrows, 11.31 pm. - And where exactly is 'here'?_
> 
> _You, 11.32 pm. - By the waiting area. Hurry up._
> 
> _Eyebrows, 11.33 pm. - Yes, Corporal. I'll be right there, Corporal._  

The nick name causes Levi to roll his eyes. After a bit of time, he catches sight of the familiar blonde through the crowd of people, and he smiles as he walks towards them.

"Well, hello."

"Erwin!" Hanji screeched and Levi cringed at the sharp sound beside him. They jump from their seat and into Erwin's arms, sobbing dramatically. "Why would you do this to me! Leave me here with this heartless man! He's a terrible travel partner!"

"What the hell are you talking about? You were asleep the whole damn flight."

Hanji looks at him from the crook of Erwin's neck, "Erwin plays with my hair when I'm sleeping."

And now Levi wants to gag. "I'm not your fucking boyfriend, Shitty Glasses." he waves them off, turning to walk towards the entrance of the airport with the two following behind him.

"But your my friend!"

"I never agreed to that."

"Aloud." the blonde chimes in, and his comment earns a glare from the raven to which he smiles innocently.

Erwin had told them one morning about this one and the next, he was gone, sending them a text a hours later saying that he was here in Connecticut with the excuse that he had to do a little more research (he had the fucking nerve to leave a smiley face at the end like some sort of apology), leaving Levi with Hanji as his traveling partner.

Erwin had left two days prior, so Levi was stuck with Hanji's whining and complaining about how their boyfriend left them for a full seventy-four hours - they spent the night at his apartment as well with the excuse that they hated sleeping alone, and Levi can't exactly blame them, with their line of work so he let them.

Everyone has an important job in their group. Erwin was the founder and he's the one that answers the calls from the clients, sets up the investigation and does the research. Hanji does majority of the technical things, recording and going through the video, editing it if need be to make it sound clearer and whatnot.

And Levi is, of course, the medium. His job may sound simple, compared to the other's, but it's really not because whereas they can stop their job anytime they want to, as long as Levi is in the general area of the place, his work never stops.

He's not looking for sympathy, he never has, not for as long as he'd, unfortunately, discovered the ability. And, although he'd appreciate a little break from time to time, he knows that as long as there is such a thing as dying, he won't get one. But, it's been a long time, and he's learned to control it to an extent. When to ignore it, when not to and that's all he really can do. Albeit, sometimes, he doesn't get to choose, however, and the only way he can get away is with sleep, but he isn't fortunate enough not to have insomnia.

And anyway, it isn't exactly easy to fall asleep when your head is full of voices, memories and emotions that aren't your own.

But he knows. He knows they're only people desperately looking for help and peace. And sometimes he can give it, sometimes he can't and the guilt that comes with that never fades and only builds. They make him hear because they want something to be told, they make him see and feel because they want sympathy, someone to feel their pain and regret and, on rare occasions when he's actually able to help them, happiness and relief. And at those times, he knows he should be happy because he's done something good for someone but he can never find the will to feel so. Can never feel anything other than remorse.

Maybe he's just sad because his full conscious is a reminder of how many people have died under horrible, heart-wrenching circumstances.

When he found of the ability, he was only thirteen and two of his best friends had died in a car crash. He hadn't gone to the funeral and of course, he was a mess, all alone, sprawled out in the tree house they always used to stay in, he remembers. Now, Levi had been a mature kid for his age, and he didn't believe in anything that couldn't be proved logically because that's just who he is, especially if it's having to do with something of this nature—but when he looked out the little window of the tree house and saw Isabel and Farlan running back and forth across the street, laughing and pushing at each other like everything was fine and Levi hadn't been told that they died in some chaotic car crash, logic was far from the first thought in his mind.

And then everything when went back to normal, at least for him, and he didn't question much. Like why, when he tried to touch them, he was shocked. Or when he brought up snacks his mother made because she thought he had made new friends that he'd always stay up in the tree house with - praising him with a sad smile for moving on and being strong when little did she know, he was talking to seemingly thin air everyday - they wouldn't eat anything even though Levi remembers Isabel always being hungry no matter what. He didn't question it, and he was just happy he was with them again, despite what he couldn't do and didn't understand.

And then one day, he climbed into the tree house and they weren't there and he didn't question that either, just assumed they had to go back to their parents and explain everything to them. That it was all just some really weird and bad joke that they probably got in trouble for making. Farlan told him something as well, that they would leave for a while, and he wouldn't see them for a bit, but they would be back and he just had to wait and be patient because once they came back and left again, he'd never see them again.

Another day passed, and then another, and then another and another and another and they weren't there but Levi waited and he waited until one day, his mother found him in the house he had spent three nights in, sitting up with his knees curled up to his chest and darkened bags under his eyes. She tried to get him out but he cried and shouted that he was waiting for them, that they would be back and if he wasn't there, he would miss them.

She realized that he was obviously talking about his friends and she tried explaining to him that they were gone, up in Heaven and being okay but he didn't believe her. He hadn't believed her because he saw them, and he was with them for a week in their tree house and he tried explaining this as well but she wouldn't listen. None of them ever listened and at least tried to understand and instead, he was taken to the doctor and he had more therapists than he could count on his fingers because his mother refused to believe her son was seeing the dead.

She refused to believe him and every time he talked about it, desperately tried to get her to understand even a little, he'd leave the room with a handprint on his cheek from the sharp slap he'd receive. He didn't understand why she disliked it so much but Levi didn't have friends then and he just needed someone to talk to, someone to hold him when he got scared because of the whispers and movements at night. That's all he really wanted and he tried but one day, she told him if he ever spoke about it again, she'd wash her hands of him. Disown him. And a month later, he had become parentless.

He always told himself not to cry too much at night because it didn't help drown out the voices, anyway.

Erwin found him a while later, a year or two, stuck in the past and depressed, not knowing what the hell he was going to do with his life and the others he kept seeing, seemingly just as dead as the rest of them. At first, when Erwin explained everything, what he did for a living with his partner when he learned of what Levi was able to do, he hadn't declined, taking up the offer - he wasn't really in a position then to say no to easy money - but he was skeptical, in his own ability, that is.

He just thought it was something that was just there, and he really couldn't do anything with it, he could just see them, but nothing else. Because he thought he wouldn't be able to help the dead, let alone the living speaking to them through him, it wasn't really a helpful thing. It took another whole year of Erwin constantly forcing him with clients at jobs and Hanji always bugging him about what he felt every time they entered a building for him to, apparently, 'earn' his title of an actual medium.

And now, here he is. Saving the dead from the clutches of the living and pulling the living from the past and into the present.

The drive to the hotel Erwin had rented out two rooms in - only for the rest of the day, Levi found, seeing as they would be staying somewhere else for the remainder of their stay - was a fortunately short one. Erwin explained that they wouldn't be doing much of anything today, allowing his two jet-lagged partners to rest and explaining what's he's learned of the house, the previous and present owners and the acres of land its on.

The person who owns the house now is a woman named Nanaba, her last name had not been given for her own reasons. Erwin hasn't spoken to her directly, yet, but they would be meeting with her tomorrow for a tour of the house and the important parts of the land surrounding it, along with an interview.

She's owned it for a year and a half when she started to notice some 'strange things'. That was all Levi needed to here, and his hours of sleep deprived mind deemed everything else alright enough to hear tomorrow so he kicked the two out of his room and showered before falling into a much needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well poopy-doopie-doo this sucked. I know it's like short and it's not very exciting at all but I wanted to save all that stuff for the next chapter. first chapters always kinda suck right....in some way, you know.....I guess ~~I am not only saying this just to make myself feel better definitely not~~
> 
> anyhoe, the next chapter should be a lot better promise!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > Yes, there is definitely something here.
>> 
>> And what a welcome it gives.

The next morning wasn't any out of the ordinary. Hanji barged into his room, shouting at the top of their lungs while his alarm shrieked with them and he obviously had no other choice but to flip them onto his bed and press the pillow down on their face while they bucked and kicked until Erwin entered the room and hastily pulled him off.

Levi is not a morning person. The only good thing out of this was the fact that it kept Hanji cautious around him for the rest of the morning.

After finishing their morning routines, packing away their things and stopping for breakfast when Hanji whined about not having coffee, they started the long journey to the countryside. Levi learned that they would be staying in Nanaba's home until they actually began the investigation and then would move into the house of the hour until it finished. Going on what Erwin told him about the house having been abandon before Nanaba brought it and not exactly being used since then, he could only hope it was clean enough and if not, they could count him out on the living there thing.

The scenery had changed drastically in the time it took to get from the hotel to where the woman lived. There were less and less buildings and houses, fading into greenery until there was nothing but vast, empty fields and woods as far as Levi could see.

It was calming, knowing that there wouldn't be as many people as there are in a town and kind of unnerving as well, what with the farther Erwin continues to drive practically into the woods as he is, the ravenette is pretty sure there are going to be a couple bear sightings or some shit. Hopefully not because they really do not need Hanji flipping their shit more than they already have.

He had not been paying attention to Erwin and Hanji's conversation, having been interested in staring out the window because it's pretty much mindless chatter to him by now, seeing as they have been talking since the ride started. Erwin must have realized his aloofness - as he always does - and misinterpreted it - as he always does - because the look he gives Levi in the rearview mirror causes him to raise an eyebrow.

"Levi," the blonde calls and Levi connects gazes with him.

"What?"

"We're almost there." he informs and Levi frowns.

"Yeah, I noticed."

Erwin sighs. "I mean, Levi, once we start and if at any point it becomes too much, tell me and I'll end it then."

The information makes Levi look away again, back out the window. He's quiet for a moment, before responding because he knows Erwin is still looking at him, expectant.

"I know." he says quietly.

Erwin says this every time they do this, just before they get to the destination of the job - how could he have forgotten, then - and he means it in a good, caring way and it shouldn't be anything, really, considering these facts but it never ceases to dampen Levi's mood. Albeit, his emotions haven't really changed outwardly, so they may have not noticed the sudden negative change in what he's feeling.

He doesn't know why it always seems to happen this way and he goes back to his usual stoic expressions, without little breaks that only Erwin and Hanji can cause, because he's reminded. Reminded that this is actually _real._ It's _something_ and there's a strong possibility that at any point in time, he could get seriously hurt—whether physically, emotionally or both.

It isn't that he's forgotten, he can never really _forget_ no matter how much he tries but it's more so that for a moment, the thought isn't at the forefront of his mind and he'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible but it's when someone says something like this or along those lines that he's reminded and forced back into this mood, even if it's said in thought of his well-being.

He doesn't think he could call it being depressed, even though he knows he will never really not be when most of his life literally revolves around death—the most depressing topic of all, and maybe thinking 'Here we go, again. What kind of dead person awaits me today? Or maybe it's dead _people..._?' can be considered depressing. 

He's only been hurt physically once, a very long time ago and then, he barely remembers it. Still, isn't really something Levi thinks about and he doesn't know if that's a good thing or not, since he should be the first one cautious about this, as well, but when he walks into a room and feels something that isn't very pleasant, him being hurt in anyway isn't the first thought that comes to him.

He always wonders what happened to make them this way. Who it happened to and why it even happened at all.

He thinks, being the medium he is, with his job being to basically put others before himself as he does, it may be something good—in some self-sacrificing way.

And that can also be bad, in his case with what he's doing, he knows, but like he said, he doesn't think about it too much.

The canopy of the trees shades the sun, making everything dimmer around them as Erwin slowed to a stop in the dirt path in front of a small house and they all got out. Hanji held their camera, the big one that had to be placed on their shoulder. It's the one they use only for interviews, and they have a smaller, handier one they use during investigations.

Levi doesn't get it, but he isn't the techy one here so he doesn't question it either. He assumes it's just easier, seeing as Hanji happens to be a very jumpy - as well as easily scared - person when frightened and dropping that very expensive looking equipment doesn't look like it'd end happily.

Walking up the short path to the house, Erwin is the one to ring the doorbell. After a short while, the door opens to reveal a woman. Short, wavy blonde hair, parted in the middle with slightly narrowed, tired but content looking blue eyes. Had Levi not known she was a woman, it would have been easy to mistake her as male. Her smile is wide and toothy as she pushes open the screen door and steps outside.

"Wow—hello, hi," she greets, her voice expressing her excitement.

"Hello," Erwin says in kind, his and Hanji's smile matching her own. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, rather than over the phone." he chuckles.

"Yes, yes, likewise." Nanaba looks around as if she has just realized where they were. "Ah, sorry, come in."

Moving aside, she gestures for the three to enter. There wasn't much of a different atmosphere from outside and in her house. The woodsy feel and smell is still there, and she has antics all about. Old but clean looking water satchels hanging on walls, paintings and a lot of plants and flowers.

Levi isn't a very outside person like Nanaba obviously is, but he can appreciate things like this. Once inside and all settled on the couches after Nanaba fretted about drinks and such, Erwin didn't begin the interview, explaining that he wanted to start it once they got to the actual house and instead, introduced everyone.

"These are my partners, Hanji and Levi." being as eccentric as the brunette is, she waved excitedly despite that fact that they weren't even feet away from each other, causing Nanaba to chuckle and Levi only nodded in her direction.

"Hanji works with the techno things, videos and such and Levi, here, is our medium."

Nanaba nods and then imminently turns in her seat to Levi, as he expected. "A medium, huh. Is it too hard?"

"It lessens with time." he answers curtly and noncommittally. It isn't too much of a lie, saying it get's easier would be a lie. More like, it's easier to get used to, for him, at least. He isn't meaning to come off as rude, he just doesn't usually talk much during interviews and tours. His job is mostly just to feel. He doesn't particularly like answering questions about the topic too much, either.

"Are you a skeptic?" Hanji inquires through a small chuckle. Nanaba's look turns cautious towards Levi. He doesn't really care, everyone is entitled to their opinion and he usually tries his best not to look too intimidating when the question is asked so they don't feel the need to lie because of him. He's been doing this too long to give a fuck, anyhow.

"Well, I've never... seen one in person, actually." she turns her gaze to the other two. "I don't usually think about this kind of stuff, like ghosts and whatnot. I hadn't even known what a medium was until I looked it up after the call with you. But I don't think anything negative about the entire topic, I just have never seen any of it in action—well, until now."

Erwin hums thoughtfully. Levi can tell he has another question regarding this, but wants to save it for when they start the interview. "Okay, so, during the interview, I'll be asking you questions while you give us the tour and we'll check in with Levi now and again throughout that time. He'll ask you questions if he feels the need to as well. He also knows nothing of this place besides what you told me that I explained to him."

Nanaba nods at the information. "Alright. That simple?"

"That simple."

She stands from the couch, smoothing out her dress, smiling down at the three. "Let's go, then. The less daylight we have, the more reluctant I am, guys."

-

The car door slams behind him with a thud as Levi climbs out, staring up at the house they pulled up to. It looks like a fairly big, three story house that should be somewhere near a barn but as far as Levi can see, there is nothing but field and woods. Patches of ivy grow idly on the sides of it, the roof and some on the porch and the bushes in front of the house look long dead with empty beds of dirt looking as if they were made for flowers but weren't given a chance to plant any. There are places on the house, higher up where paint is peeling off or there isn't any paint there, at all, just patches of wood that seem to be peeling as well.

Levi only looks at it with mild distaste. He's stayed in worse places.

"Well, here we are." Nanaba huffs out, hands on her hips as she surveys the house.

"You don't sound very excited to be here." Erwin comments.

"I am. I am excited, just not in a good way."

"Ah, I see."

Levi felt the same, the closer he got to the house, the more his heartbeat sped up. As if something is going to happen and if he doesn't look behind himself every minute and so much as blinks, he's going to get hurt and he feels the need to run as far away from this place as he can. But he doesn't and instead, stands in place and stares up at the house that seems to be staring back at him.

"Do you agree, Levi?" Erwin's questions, and Levi blinks his gaze towards him before nodding curtly.

"I haven't been here in a long while." Nanaba begins. "I don't usually come up here unless it's for something important—so very rarely, almost never."

"So, you don't like being here."

"Not particularly, no."

"Well, I'd like to know why, just as soon as Hanji's ready."

"Mmmn..." said brunette hums, clicking something on the camera twice before holding it up and smiling with a thumbs up. "Ready."

And they finally start, Nanaba stating her name once again for the video and Erwin beginning to question her.

"So, please tell us when and why you decided to buy this property."

"Well..." she hums thoughtfully. "I brought it a year and a half ago and my intention was to turn it into a sort of inn."

"Why is that?"

"To be completely honest, I was bored." she laughs lightly. "I had just gotten out of college and was waiting on my job application to get accepted and I wanted something to focus on until then, to get my mind off of the doubts and whatnot. So, when I heard of this place, having been abandon for a very large sum of years and no one was willing to buy it, I decided to spruce it up and make it a place for hikers and campers to stay on their trips."

"How thoughtful. Had the plan been going well?"

"It had been, for a good while. My co-owner had been keeping up with the place after I got my job and I would check in with him often to see how everything was going. After a couple months, he told me about customers leaving earlier than they originally wanted to stay with complaints of faulty equipment-even after we made sure everything was brand new and fixed, things being moved and even thrown, people coming into their rooms during the night, voices and one complaint where a child woke up in the middle of the night crying with unexplained bruises on his legs and arms."

Erwin's eyebrow raised throughout the explanation and with a quick side glance at Levi that he probably thinks the raven didn't notice before commenting,  "Really. It only ever happened once?"

"To our knowledge, yes. That had honestly been the last straw for me because I didn't want anyone else to get hurt by whatever was hurting them so I shut it down and this is how it has been for about six months."

"Hm. So, what compelled you to call us?"

"Well, recently my co-owner wanted to start it up again but I was reluctant. I didn't want a repeat and we would have to stop it again so he told me about you guys and I figured you were the best start."

"Was ghosts your first assumption on the happenings?"

"Not mine, it was his. As soon as he heard about the bruises, he instantly started on about ghosts."

"What was yours?"

Nanaba laughs. "Well, I'm more of a logical person so of course I had a reason for everything but with things becoming more noticeable and escalating so quickly, my explanations were getting more weaker and harder to believe, even for myself."

"Are you skeptical to these kind of things?"

"I have yet to be given a very solid reason to believe but neither have I been given one not to believe."

"Well, do you believe you will get a reason to do so after this?"

She shrugged with a smile. "I'm not sure but I'd be lying if I say I'm not interested."

"Despite your neutrality, I'm going to have to ask you to be very open-minded during this."

"Yes, that's not a problem at all."

"Good. Shall we start the tour?"

"Right, let's go."

Levi follows quietly behind the two, Hanji having forced him in front of them to keep him in sight of the camera. He doesn't really care for being recorded, he'd rather do his job without having a reminder that there's a camera in the room but he doesn't protest about it much, either. He usually gets so absorbed in what he's focusing on that the fact that he'll be on video later won't be on his mind.

The inside of the house is dim, the only light being the sun shining in through the window, which isn't much due to the obscuring of the trees. Though, it's enough to see the dust floating in the air - which makes Levi frown - and it's not completely dark. It looks roomy, the decorations and furniture meant to give the place a cozy feel, a place you would want to spend a relaxing vacation. That's what it _looks_ like but the feeling that Levi gets as soon as he stepped over the threshold does the exact opposite of its intended aim.

Chills lace his spine from the chilly air that hits him as if there is a draft coming into the house when all the windows are shut - at least, in the area they're in - when he enters the house and he can feel goosebumps begin to form on his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

But there is a contrast to that because as the air is cold, it is also completely still and heavy, as well. There is no breeze and it's like standing in a freezer, but the air is like a pressure and it's almost if you reached out and focused on trying to touch it, you could. It's enough to stop Levi in his tracks with the force of it.

Yes, there is definitely something here.

And what a welcome it gives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, so yeah I decided to cut it off there cos this was beginning to turn into a really big chapter. like really big so I thought that was the best place to end this chapter and the rest will be in the next so yep. see you then!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > And he just knows, something horrific happened in this room.

"Wow." Hanji whistles and Erwin nods in agreement.

"Yeah," Nanaba says. "It stays like this. It could be eighty degrees outside and when you come in here, it's freezing. There are no air conditioner's, either, we hadn't had any installed. Most people liked it, thinking of it more as relief from the heat and not something else."

"Huh. And it obviously seems like this house isn't connected to any others, so the air can't be coming through vents, correct?"

"Right. There aren't any other houses quite a bit of a drive."

"Interesting. So, where should we start?"

"I thought we could go up and work our way down?"

"Alright, you lead the way."

Rolling his shoulders subtly against the discomfort of the pressure, Levi follows after them as they travel up the stairs, having to use a bit more effort to walk. Luckily, no one noticed him if he gave away any signs of his sudden being uncomfortable. They most likely don't feel it as well as he does, only feeling the chill in the air, but Levi can feel something else entirely.

A presence all throughout the house and it's obvious that it doesn't want them here, doesn't want anyone here at all and if the complaints Nanaba had gotten are anything to go by, it's willing to go to a physical extent to get them to leave.

A quiet sigh leaves him. He'll have to persuade Erwin to continue before they've even really started—which isn't exactly an easy task with him.

"So," Nanaba starts, opening a room door. "this is the library."

Levi couldn't think of another word besides grand to describe the room. There is no wall being shown, every inch of it is covered by either a bookshelf, or a large picture of people that weren't familiar to him. No shelf on any of the bookshelves were empty, all filled with books looking old and fairly new but used.

He's sure if he were to get a book from the top of the shelves, the ones touching the ceiling, there'd be too much dust, or the pages would be so withered away that he wouldn't be able to read it. The room is a great contrast to how the rest of the house.

"Has anything happened in here?"

"There has been stuff happening in every room. In here, though, this is where the complaints for things moving come from. Books being closed and thrown off the table..."

Levi walked away from the group, closer to the bookshelves and scrutinizing the books there. He finds that the shelf he's looking at is full of books about science. Science fiction and non-fiction, all the shelves that Levi is able to look at are full of them and some are leather bound seemingly used, meaning they are fairly old as well.

"Are all these books science related?" he inquired, pulling a random book from the shelf, a leather covered one, and opening it. It's one of the books that Levi assumed would be there, the pages yellowed and the words faded.

"Yes, they are. This room was actually here when I first visited the house, it just wasn't as dust free as it is now." she replies with a chuckle. "A very large majority of these books were already here, as well as the bookshelves. They were obviously old and full of great information that aren't in most science books today and I'm a fan of authentic things so I decided to keep them and buy new ones as well. Most people appreciate it."

"Hm." he hums thoughtfully, making shapes with his fingers on the page while not really looking at it. As strange as it may be to say it, there's a presence in these books as well but it's different from the one surrounding the house. It's less active and more of just a lingering one, rather than hovering, as the overall presence that Levi feels. It isn't as strong as the other.

"Noticed something?" he hears Erwin question and it brings him from his focus and he lets out a breath, reaching up to slip the book back into its space.

"These books belonged to someone." is all he can really say. They belonged to someone, but that someone isn't here.

"Did you get a name or anything?"

"No. The person they belonged to isn't here."

"Is there someone here?"

The question makes him pause and it's as if the blondes' voice echo's throughout the room in that moment, Levi feels it. Eyes boring into the back of his head and he feels the heat in the stare, the absolute anger and it's enough to make him look up from where it seems to be coming from. It's enough to make his heartbeat speed up and the palms of his hands to dampen.

Enough to leave him truly afraid of what might happen if he stays here any longer.

And all he can say is a silent—

"Yes."

And they fall into silence then and suddenly Levi doesn't want to be in this room anymore, doesn't want to be in this house or anywhere near it but his body doesn't listen to his conscious and his feet stay glued to the floor, eyes glued to the corner of the room heedfully as if expecting someone to appear there - because he is - but Nanaba breaks the silence with a nervous laugh, snapping Levi's attention towards her.

She rubs her arms. "You guys are giving me chills, gosh."

This earns a chuckle from Erwin as well. "Yes, well, maybe we should continue on?"

"Yeah, definitely. You guys make this room more creepier than it already is." she comments, scurrying out of the room quickly and Erwin follows behind with an amused smile and Hanji as well. Levi is the last to leave the room, relief flooding him when he does.

The next few rooms on the second floor are bedrooms where Nanaba says the people entering the rooms have happened and the room where the boy had been hurt is the one closest to the stairs, and Erwin decided to check with Levi then but the feeling wasn't very different from the rest of the house but he said they would keep the room in mind still.

Nanaba led them throughout the rest of the house and there wasn't anything particularly worth noticing, that is, until they stopped in front of a certain door under the staircase.

"And here," Nanaba says, gesturing to the white door. "is the notorious basement."

Erwin laughs. "And why is it notorious?"

Levi stares at the door with slightly wide eyes while the two talk and wonders how the hell can they be so oblivious? Even if they don't have the same ability, it would be easy for any human being to notice this. The energy behind that door is so strong and so negative that Levi is feeling repulsed to it, wanting to get as far away from it as he can but instead, he focuses on it, trying to pick up one sole presence or get it to manifest into whatever it is so he can get some sort of information because at the moment, there's only the sound of echo's and constant shadows speeding past his minds' eye and none of them are stopping.

None of them look friendly.

"Well, for starters, it's a basement. Who likes basements? I certainly don't and quite a bit happens in this one." she explains as she opens the door and a smell assaults Levi's senses so strongly that he almost gags with the force of it. 

It reeks of something metallic, and something else that he can't explain but it overpowers the first slightly and almost hurts his nose when he inhales—something like chemicals, for lack of anything else to call it. No one else seems to smell it, however, or at least, not the way he has.

And he just knows, something horrific happened in this room.

Everyone carefully takes their time down the stairs and into the darkened room, Levi being the last, mostly likely momentarily forgotten because of his silence as he often is which he appreciates at times like these when it becomes obvious that something is bothering him. He holds on tightly to the railing, the smell almost a bit too much to bare now and if that doesn't make matters worse, he's hit with a wave of nausea that is so sudden, his foot that was in mid-step falls much more heavily and the wood creaks with his weight as he stops, his slightly swimming head causing him to do so.

Everyone looks up at him, Nanaba having already gotten down first to turn on the lights. The sound is too loud for them not to have noticed.

"Are you okay?" Hanji is the first to question, moving her head from behind the camera to look at him better.

He shakes his head, eyes closed. "I'm fine, just—give me a minute." the slight strain to his voice does little to reassure them.

"You look sick." Nanaba comments next. "Do you want to go outside? Some water?"

"No. It's fine, continue." disregarding the protest of his body, he continues down the stairs, himself, only to get them to relax a bit. He stops just at the end and leans against the banister beside Hanji because he knows he won't be able to stand up alone being as dizzy as he is. He's aware of Erwin's gaze more than the other's and he knows that the blonde is looking at him pointedly rather than with as much concern as the other two, he'll express that later in the talk their no doubt going to have.

The place looked like one of those creepy, damp basements in horror movies that you never want to go into because you get a bad feeling about it. Boxes were strewn here and there against the stone walls, and Levi assumed the drop of temperature - it becoming colder than it already was - is because of their being underground.

"Are you sure?" Nanaba inquires further and he's starting to get a little annoyed now but he keeps his mouth shut and only nods. Reluctant, she looks away from him and around the room again. "Okay, so... this is where most of the complaints of voices come from. I placed the customers larger luggage here if they allowed me and let them come here if they needed anything - with supervision, of course - and if it was privet, I would stay at the top of the stairs while they got what they needed.

Maybe I was oblivious to it then, but I never really took any notice in the way they walked a little faster up the stairs when coming back than they did going down and their expressions, now that I look back on it."

"Did they ever describe what the voices were like?"

"Majority said echo's of a sound. None ever said there were any words spoken but if there had been, it just sounded drawn out—almost like a yell. They said it was quiet and distant but loud enough to hear and it frightened them quite a bit."

"Really. Do—"

The sudden sound of a box falling cuts Erwin off, and all attention snaps to the corner of the room closest to a little window. They don't have time to even wonder what it is before a black ball of something shoots across the floor, towards them and Levi thinks for a second it might be a rat - a really fucking big one - and Hanji and Nanaba yelp and it barrels into the blonde's feet with so much force that she stumbles back slightly, only to look down and find that it's—

A fucking cat.

"Oh my god." Hanji says, hands fixing taking their place on the camera again and Nanaba can do nothing but laugh down at the fur ball doing a figure eight between her legs and purring.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I hadn't known he was in here."

"He's yours?" Erwin asks, eyebrow raised.

"No, no, he's not. I was doing one of my check-ups one evening a couple months ago and I found him here. I tried to get him to leave but every time I come back, he's here. It's like he practically lives here so I just started bringing food and water for him, a reason why I come here. And as you can see, he enjoys scaring the living crap out of people, so beware."

As she speaks, the cat moves away from her, sauntering it's way up the stairs, only glancing back at the one time with bright green eyes before leaving the basement.

"If that's the case, he'll have some fun with you." Erwin jabs at Hanji with a smile and they purse their lips.

"Shut up. I thought it was a rat."

"Ditto."

"Anyway," the blonde chuckles, turning back to Nanaba. "back to the matter at hand. Is there anything else?"

"Not for complaints, that ends here."

"Previous owners." Levi says, getting their attention. "Who were they?"

"Ah, good question."

"Well, the last people that owned this house - at least, what it says in the records I'd gotten - was in the 1960's," Levi raises an eyebrow to that. "and a family of... four. The Yeager family, I believe they were called. Quite famous people around that time, at least, the father was."

"Do you have specific names?"

"Yeah. The father was Grisha Yeager, Carla and they had two children, a daughter and son, Mikasa and Eren."

"They all sound fairly German, but one."

"Ah, yes, Mikasa. She was their adopted daughter, she was Asian. And the family was German, the mother having Turkish roots as well."

"Only in the 1960's?" Hanji questions. "So there's a possibility that they may still be alive, right? At least, the children."

Nanaba's frown catches Levi's attention. "I'm afraid not. The original family died but Mikasa is still alive, her 54th birthday had just pasted a couple weeks ago."

"Oh. Wonderful for her."

"What happened to the Yeager's?"

Nanaba looks towards Levi, her eyebrows furrowing. "I'm surprised you don't know. Like I said, they have a bit of history here." she sighs. "Sad history. Grisha Yeager was a well-known scientist, having developed a lot of what they had at that time and he worked from home mostly—his lab being this basement, actually."

That explains the smell and maybe the owner of the books, as well.

"He believed strongly in evolution, being the scientist that he was, and he regarded it almost too strongly which led him to conducting experiments here that weren't exactly considered good, let alone legal. And, what he wanted, specifically, though, was human evolution."

"So, like..." Hanji pauses, eyebrows drawn. "he did human mutation?"

"Of a sort, yes. It's not known what exact kind he expected to come out of it, but nothing ever did so I don't think anyone will ever know."

"If it was illegal, he must have gone to jail, did he?" Erwin questions.

She shakes her head. "No, he didn't go to jail. He was convicted to a death sentence for illegal scientology and five counts of murder—that including his wife and son."

Despite his mind not being able to take it at 'human mutation', Levi finds himself asking the question anyway (even though in the back of his mind, he knows he's disregarding something very important when it comes to the death's of spirits still lingering in a place). "How?"

"It's unknown exactly how each died, but the suspicion for a long time has been that they were all examples of experiments gone wrong, which is most likely the case. Unfortunately, four of the five were very young, Eren being the youngest at fifteen. They died on the property."

"God, that's horrible."

"It unfortunate, yes."

The story leaves a sour taste in Levi's mouth and an itch in his palms as they all deem the tour and interview over at that. This time, he was the first to leave the room, his mind searching for relief of all the discomfort he's come in contact with. Hanji and Nanaba fussed over him before leaving, however, and he is now stuck in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water that was forced into his hand which he is secretly thankful for, calming his upset stomach slightly, leaving him alone in the house as they go back to the car to pack away things.

It's silent, besides the distant sound of Hanji's loud voice outside, and Levi rinses out the glass once he's finished, placing the cup inside the dish drainer. Something makes him pause, though, his hand hovering over silver wear because he feels it again. That stare and, unfortunately, it's closer this time. It's so close, that he feels as if he concentrates enough, he'd be able to feel breath upon his neck. The thought drags a shiver up his spine and like in the library, whoever - whatever - the stare belongs to is anger but this time, it's enraged and Levi suddenly remembers what he didn't pay attention to back in the basement when he questioned their deaths—

Never ask how a spirit died.

The word 'fuck' rings out in the ravenette's head and he knows, he knows if he turns around, someone will be behind him. He knows it—so he doesn't. Instead, he straightens, slowly and walks straight out of the kitchen. It's as if, though, the closer he get's to the door left open for him, the heavier the pressure of the air becomes but it's different because instead of it making it difficult to walk properly, it, instead, makes it effortless. Literally. It's almost like if Levi chose to stop walking at this time, root his feet to the ground—he would not stop moving.

He's being pushed out.

Not really, however, because he doesn't feel hands on his back. Instead, it's like a wall and it's forcing him towards the door with not much pressure but enough to be noticeable. It's like he's about to be shoved out and the door will slam shut behind him. When he does step over the threshold, though, the door does not close and everything stops. Waiting. Waiting for him to turn around. He doesn't want to (because, honestly, he's afraid of what he'll see if he does) so, instead, he reaches behind him, feels for the doorknob and pulls the door shut. 

Relief is not the feeling he gets.

Not as he walks away from the house, not as he climbs into the car and shuts the door, not as he's watching the house become smaller as Erwin drives away.

No, it's not relief he feels. It's something more along the lines of dread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't ask how especially when you know the ghost is fucking present god dammit levi what's wrong with you you're a medium you're supposed to know this shit. so, yeah. levi's a dumb ass, he's made the ghost(s) (- . ^) ) pissed off.
> 
> what'll happen next. idk let's find out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > "I don't know about this one, Levi."
>> 
>> And it has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeee sorry for the long pause. I've gotten a bit of a case of writers block, but i'm trying to work through it so here's another chapter. i'm not entirely happy with it, but this'll have to do, I guess.
> 
> sorry for any mistakes as well!!

"I don't know about this one, Levi."

And it has begun.

Levi sighs as he blows on the cup of tea on the table before him lightly, holding it by the rim as he lifts it to his lips to take a sip. They all had decided to take a bit of a breather today, seeing as yesterday was full of work for everyone, and Erwin and Levi sit in a small café they've discovered while Hanji and Nanaba - who have seemed to become the best of friends - went sight seeing because Hanji was curious.

Erwin has a laptop, looking over the video Hanji gave him yesterday and Levi knew it was only a matter of time before he said something, what with the tall tale signs being the furrow of his eyebrow and the huffs of breath he gave every few minutes.

The ravenette places the cup back on the table and leans back in his chair before responding. "Why not?"

The blonde looks up at him over the screen of the computer with slightly incredulous eyes. "Why not? Do you want to watch this?"

"I'm aware of what happens, thank you. I was there."

"Exactly. Then you are aware of the reason why this case might not be one we can do."

Levi sighs, shaking his head and being silently grateful that there is enough people and enough chattering that their conversation can blend in, however unlikely the topic. "We've already agreed to doing it, Erwin. It'd look bad on us if we back out before we've even started."

"The only thing I happen to care about is the well-being of both of you."

In other words, he couldn't give ten flying fucks what other people thought. The phrasing makes Levi rolls his eyes.

"Nothing has even happened yet, Eyebrows, you're always jumping to the bad before we've seen if there can be any good."

"Because that's what keeps people out of harms way," Erwin says without missing a beat. "and that's my intention for both of you. You practically fell down the stairs yesterday, Levi. I've never seen you look like that."

"I did not fall down the stairs. There was a smell of something like chemicals, and it was so sudden that I got a little dizzy and nauseous. I'm sure I can handle a few tummy aches."

"Levi." there's a pause and he knows it's because Erwin is waiting for him to look at him, he can feel the expectant gaze and it's not unusual that Levi feels like a child being chastised when their having conversations like this. Thinning his lips, he flickers his eyes on the blonde and jerks an eyebrow up.

"What."

"I'm sure you were listening when Nanaba said a boy was hurt by this thing. A child. If it's willing to injure a _child_ to get them to leave, there's no telling what it's capable of doing to an adult. And what's worse, that family wasn't even paying attention to it and someone got hurt, imagine if people were actually _trying_ to contact it."

"It won't be the first time." Levi blurts and it's not as if he actually meant to say it and he probably shouldn't have if the flicker of surprise and another emotion Levi doesn't want to name in Erwin's eyes have anything to say about it, but now that he's started, he certainly can't stop. "If anything does happen, it won't be a first and I'm more than sure it won't be the last so I won't just not do something because of fear of a past mistake."

It isn't exactly his fear, either, because like he's said, getting injured on the job is never his first and only concern. It's Erwin's. It wasn't always like that because believe it or not, Erwin used to be ignorant to a lot of things as well. Some of those things were similar to things Levi didn't know a lot about and that included his ability. It was years ago and he's pretty much gotten over it by now - at least, that's what he tells himself - but Erwin is, unfortunately, the type that doesn't forget as easily as most people do.

It was back when they had only been an official paranormal investigating group for a year or two, back when Hanji and Erwin were a lot more curious about Levi's ability more than he was, himself. They had gotten a case, one that seemed just a bit of a level up from what their used to as Erwin believes this one is, but back then, he thought they could do it—he thought Levi could do it. So, they did, spending a day in an abandon warehouse and half way through the investigation, that's when it happened.

They were doing an EVP session and Hanji suggested Levi ask it something. It's not usually Levi's job to talk unless necessary, it's mostly to just _feel_ but he had shrugged and tried anyway. He asked if it enjoyed scaring people, if it did it purposely and it didn't reply for a bit, but what happened about a minute after seemed to be enough of an answer.

A crate fell from the walkways above them, conveniently right above where Levi had the infortune of standing. And, just to add to that and be a dick, it seems, a window pane exploded, sending shards of broken glass flying. A window also where Levi had been. He hadn't been really hurt, or, at least, he barely remembers the pain because the crate to his head knocked him out and he figured he only had a cut here and there and maybe a bruise or two.

But, apparently, the gashes from the glass had needed to be stitched closed and he had gained a mild concussion. He still hadn't thought it was too bad because he's had worse in his twenty-three years of living but his partners disagreed heavily. The thing with Erwin is that he believes it's his fault.

He says that he shouldn't have pushed Levi into doing something like that when he knew how much of an easy target the ravenette could be in certain situations. He blamed himself for Levi's being hurt and that the man ended it then and there. He said he wouldn't let Levi do it anymore.

He hadn't understand why, at the time, but he argued fiercely against that. Erwin wasn't his anything, really and couldn't tell him what to do so if he wanted to continue, he would. It was Levi's choice, not his and he voiced that fact.

He hadn't known but maybe, in the far recess of his mind, the place where he stores things he's vowed to never admit aloud, he knows it was because he didn't have anything else. He knew he didn't have anything and his ability had become everything, had become all he was. All he is. And he'd found people - or rather, they found him - who wouldn't leave him because of it.

And he didn't want to lose that.

And that brings him back to this moment, staring at Erwin with narrowed eyes, having the same conversation they've had more times than Levi can count on his fingers, saying the same thing he's said more times than he can count all because of the man's own trepidation.

They'd long begun a round of a staring contest and, much to Levi's benefit, Erwin broke first, leaning back in his seat with a heavy sigh. Levi hid a smug smirk behind the rim of his tea cup, taking another sip of his now slightly lukewarm tea.

"The moment I see something even the slightest bit askew, it's over."

"Whatever you say, Eyebrows."

-

Levi and Erwin were just making their way back to Nanaba's house when Hanji called his phone. As soon as he answered, he had to yank the phone away from his ear as to not become partially deaf because the screech that sounded was loud enough that it seemed as if they were standing right next to him, which would have been even worse.

Hanji was excited - when weren't they - but this time, they explained that they had found some very, and they stretched, _very_ exciting information and urged them to hurry back to the house.

"GUYS!"

"Fucking hell." Levi grumbles as he pushes open the door. Not even a foot in the fucking house, yet, literally.

They come bounding from the hallway, waving their phone in their hand and stops in front of Erwin, shoving the phone into his hand. Used to their forceful antics by now, the two men follow without - much, on Levi's part - complaint as they lead them into the living room.

"Where's Nanaba?" Erwin inquires, sitting on the couch and setting the laptop on the coffee table.

"She went grocery shopping and told me to come back home—look!"

Levi sits in the chair beside the couch Erwin is sitting on and the blonde's eyes scan over the screen and Levi watches his dramatic eyebrows raise. He reaches over and takes the phone from his hand then, looking at it himself. It's information—Mikasa Ackerman's information. There isn't much, seeing as Hanji only googled it, only her name, three phone numbers and a photo of her. Apparently, she's a pretty famous wedding planner.

Well.

"Ackerman." Erwin says, causing Levi to glance up at him and he sends a thoughtful look the ravenette's way. "I didn't know her last name was Ackerman."

Levi shrugs. "I don't know her."

"She kind of looks like you. Maybe she's a distant relative?" Hanji suggests.

"Maybe. But anyway," Levi narrows his eyes at the brunette, quick to change the subject because he isn't keen on acknowledging his last name. "why are you searching her name on google?"

Hanji snaps out of their thoughtful expression, a grin splitting their face at the question. " _Well_ , I had this _amazing_ idea—"

Levi sighs loudly.

"—that we could interview her! We could get so much more info because she was _there_! Fresh scoop and all that!"

They catch sight of Erwin's frown, though. "There's a chance she might decline, though, Hanji. It's most likely a sensitive topic."

"Oh." they deflate, face becoming downcast. "That's true..."

Levi cringes slightly at their dramatically sad pout and sighs again, because a sad Hanji is an even worse Hanji. "There's still, like, a fifteen percent chance she'd say sure, right? Call her and see. If not, we'll work with what we've got."

The brunette bounces right back into their previous mood like a switch was flipped and agrees with Levi, taking the phone from him and handing it back to Erwin. "Yeah, let's do that! Just use you're smoothness, Erwin. You can get away with murder with a voice like yours."

"Wouldn't put it past him." Levi mutters, eyes trained on the screen of his own phone as he scrolls through his old messages.

Erwin calls, with some reluctance, and the first time, she hadn't picked up but with whining from Hanji, the blonde called again and she answered, this time and a smile stretched Erwin's lips as if he was talking to her in person and it's a smile Levi's familiar with, a smile that's gotten him to do many things he wouldn't have dreamed of doing.

It takes a while, a long while and at some point, the woman hangs up on him and Erwin pulls the phone away to blink at the screen but a couple minutes later, she calls back and agrees, just like that. Erwin thanks her graciously before hanging up himself and throwing the phone into Hanji's lap, standing, and leaving the room with a 'I did that for you' to Hanji, and the brunette coos and follows him.

Levi finds that the interview is only a couple days from now, and they'll be meeting her at her house in the city, which earns a groan from the raven because they have to travel to get there. Hanji and Erwin start to get handsy while Levi is in the room, touching each other's face and cooing gross couple things to each other that get's the raven to leave quickly with an overly repulsed 'disgusting', before heading to his room.

It's no where near the time Levi usually tries to get to sleep, but without anything else to do, he decides to shower and climb into bed, turning out the lamp on the nightstand and curling up under the blanket, closing his eyes. Much to his confusion, his mind wanders to the house, and he vaguely remembers the feeling of the heated staring and the heaviness of the house and he finds himself wondering what he always does, but more now than ever.

What really happened to whoever's in that house?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sigh. I am really not happy with this but I can't think of anything else. next chapter should be better and we'll have Mikasa's interview and they fINALLY MOVE INTO THE HOUSE ERMEHGURR WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
> 
> XDXDXD kudos and comments keep my fingers typing!!


End file.
